I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.
1 John 3:4

We raised four well behaved children. Someone recently told me I brag about myself too much. Please, read my first book, “The Power of the Transformed Wife” if you believe this to be true. I share all of my weaknesses and sins in this book. Then, I share what Christ and His Spirit have done in my life to transform me, as He can do for all who believe in Him and love Him. But yes, I often do share what I have done right and what has worked for me in all areas of my life. This is what older women are to teach young women!

I wasn’t a good wife for the first 20 years of my marriage. I wanted to be but it didn’t happen until reading Debi Pearl’s book “Created to Be His Help Meet.” She convicted and challenged me. This began my transformation into being the wife God calls me to be. Do I still need to improve? YES! Life will always be hard but God will use these hard times and sufferings to continue to conform us into His image.

We did raise good children, thankfully. My husband and I were both on the same page. We wanted to raise children who were obedient to us. We saw friends who weren’t strict with their children. When they told their children to do something, the children wouldn’t listen and the parents did nothing about it. These parents weren’t teaching their children to obey God as God commands. These children grew up to lack self-control and had difficult lives of their own making.

We taught our children to obey us from a young age. We used the rod as God commands. We only used it for clear disobedience and to learn what “No” meant from a young age, not only for their protection but to learn to obey us. We were consistent and firm. After the age of four or so, we rarely had to use the rod. It worked beautifully just as God tells us it does! “The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame” (Proverbs 29:15). Sin and pain were taught that they go together from a young age with our children.

We also taught them how to think right (take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ and don’t allow sinful thoughts to marinate in their minds), not allow bitterness to take root in their lives, never fall into self-pity which is satanic, be kind and generous towards others, be responsible and hard working, and know and love the Lord Jesus Christ. I taught them the dangers of drugs, so none of them have ever struggled with this. (If you’re always giving your children a pill for all that ails them, when they struggle with depression or any hardship, it will be easy for them to think a pill will fix them.)

I read the Word to them often and had them memorize a lot of Bible verses. If you ask them, they will tell you that we were always teaching and training them truth. We wanted truth deeply hidden in their hearts. We knew culture would only throw lies at them all of the time. It’s heartbreaking how few parents teach their children truth.

Our children didn’t rule the roost. We did. Since we diligently trained and disciplined them, they were a delight to raise. We had no rebellious teenage years since our children didn’t have rebellious hearts. After they were grown, I read the book by Michael Pearl “To Train Up a Child” and realized we raised our children the way he teaches. It’s biblical!

Does this guarantee children won’t grow up to rebel against the Lord and His ways? No. I know a few couples who did everything they could to raise godly children, yet one of their children walked away from the faith and are living in rebellion to the Lord. This grieves the parents so deeply, but they know they did everything within their power to raise godly children. They just keep praying for their prodigal child.

It takes a lot of time, diligence, consistency, and energy to raise children who walk in truth, but it’s well worth it all. This is yet another, if not the main reason, God wants mothers to be home full time with their children. Children need their mothers nurturing, training, disciplining, and teaching them in the ways of godliness.

Bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
Ephesians 6:4

***I encourage you to watch this fantastic video by Voddie Baucham on this topic!